pulled the door to against the increasing rain

Senior Member

With his hands still in his coat pockets he stalked by me into the hall, turned sharply as if he were on a wire, and disappeared into the living-room. It wasn’t a bit funny. Aware of the loud beating of my own heart I pulled the door to against the increasing rain.

What does that mean? It sounds like a really strange construction to my non native ears, to against. What do you guys think please?

Senior Member

Not "I pulled the door to against the increasing rain".
"I pulled the door to against the increasing rain".
The verb "pull to" is a phrasal verb, usually used separably. I pulled the door to = I closed the door (as sdg wrote in post 2).

Senior Member

In the given context it would mean "pulled the door shut", because the intention is to keep the rain out. If the catch doesn't engage, unless there's no breeze at all, it's unlikely that the door would remain shut.